Folding shelf



y 1962 D. SHEINBERG 3,032,204

' FOLDING SHELF Filed June 27, 1961 ""7 INVENTOR A, k DAVID SHEINBERG r m :2 BY MJ.M

ATTO R N EY United States PatentOfiice 3,032,204 Patented May 1, 1962 3,032,204 FOLDING SHELF David Sheinberg, 1749 45th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed June 27, 1961, Ser. No. 119,896 4 Claims. (Cl. 21193) This invention relates to shelving and more particularly to foldable utility shelves.

The utility shelf according to the invention finds a ready application in homes, stores and ofiices for many varied uses. It may be used, by way of examples, as a display shelf, a spice shelf, a flower pot shelf, a knickknack shelf, a bathroom shelf to support an electric razor and toilette articles, a display shelf for small articles on a store counter and for numerous other purposes.

In the manufacture and distribution of utility shelves, due to the shelves bulk, the space required for storage in the manufacturers plant or for shipment by carrier has resulted in disproportionately high costs with relation to the value of the article itself.

It is therefore an object of the invention to substantially reduce the cost of storage and shipping space for utility shelves.

Another object of the invention is to provide a utility shelf which may be folded to occupy a minimum space.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding utility shelf which is light in weight, compact, strong and durable, simple in construction, easy to manufacture and which may be sold at a reasonable cost.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and the appended drawing showing, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the invention.

It should be understood, however, that these are given by way of illustration and not of limitation, and that various changes in the details, form and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the shelf in open position;

FIG. 2 is a partial view along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the article folded for shipment and a container therefor and FIG. 4 is a view on a smaller scale of a shelf having a plurality of tiers.

Referring now to the drawing in detail the utility shelf according to the invention, comprises a pair of spaced parallel vertical thin sheet metal supports of L-section 6, 6a, to the top and bottom portions 8, 8a and 10, 10b of which respectively, are pivotally secured by means of pivot rivets 12, 12a and 14, 14a, a pair of shelves 16 and 16a provided for that purpose with ears or extensions 18, 18a and 20, 20a, respectively. These ears or extensions which are made of thin sheet metal, as are the shelves 16, 16a are spot-welded to the respective shelves in the manner shown at 22, 22a. It will be noted that the top portions of the extensions are rounded to permit these to clear the angle walls when pivoted on pivots 12, 12a and 14, 14a. The shelves may be stamped or formed up from a single piece of sheet metal. The longitudinal and transverse portions of a rectangular piece of stamped or formed sheet metal are preferably bent up to form parallel stifl'ening and article retaining flanges 24, 24a, 26, 26a and 28, 28a, 30, 30a.

As is apparent from the drawing, both shelves are disposed inwardly of the angle support 6, 6a. The shelves serve to maintain the supports 6 and 6a in assembled relationship.

In normal open position, as shown in solid lines in the drawing, the bottom of shelf 16, together with the bottom portions 10, 10a of the supports, which are perpendicular to the shelf bottom, form a base for the shelf so that it may be stood up on a counter or other horizontal support. In this open position the upper shelf 16a is suspended horizontally, on rivets 14, 14a in perpendicular relationship to the angle supports 6, 6a the backs of which also serve to limit the pivoting of the shelf 16a beyond this position. Shelf 16 is maintained in a position similar to that of shelf 16a in the same manner by means of detents 36, made by cutting slits in the angle and bending the metal slightly inwardly.

For storing or packaging the shelf in a minimum of space, the shelf is folded by swinging shelf 16a about pivot rivets 14, 14a back of the supports until this shelf reaches the position shown in dotted lines. The bottom shelf 16 is likewise swung until it is nested in an upright position between the angle supports 6, 6a.

It will be apparent that in this folded position the shelf occupies substantially less space than when it is in open position FIG. 3 illustrates the saving in space effected when packaging the folded shelf into a container 34 for shipment or storage in the manufacturers plant or warehouse. It will be apparent that with many thousands of shelves in production and transportation, a very substantial saving in packaging, warehousing and transportation costs is effected, as compared, for example, with that of a non-folding shelf which requires a shipping container of substantially larger dimensions, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3.

The shelf according to the invention may be further provided with holes 32 for hanging on a wall or other suitable support.

Furthermore, although only two tiers of shelves are shown in the drawing, additional tiers may be employed if desired. In such a case the folding shelf and the container for packaging be made longer, without increasing the thickness of the container.

Additionally, the detents illustrated in the drawing by reference numeral 36, may vary in construction. For example, they may be of semi-circular shape or any other form, as long as they perform the required function, that of maintaining the shelves perpendicular to the supporting angles.

Furthermore the ears or extensions 8, 8a and 10, 10b may be dispensed with and the shelves may be pivoted on rivets which could pass through the end portions of flanges 24, 24a and the like and the supporting angles.

What I claim is:

1. A folding shelf comprising a pair of vertically extending spaced parallel supports of L-shaped cross-sec tion, an upper shelf pivotally secured between the top portions of said supports, a lower shelf pivotally secured between the bottom portions of said supports, each of said shelves being provided with upwardly extending ears adjacent said supports for staying the shelves in horizontal position forwardly of said supports, said upper shelf being adapted to be swung about said top portion rearwardly of said supports into contiguous relationship therewith, said lower shelf being adapted to be swung upwardly for nesting between said supports, and means for locking the lower shelf in horizontal position.

2. A folding shelf comprising a pair of spaced vertically arranged sheet angle irons, pivot means secured to the top and bottom portions of said angle irons, said angles having parallel forwardly extending flanges and rear flanges disposed in a coextensive plane, an upper shelf provided with ear extensions pivotable on said pivot means between the top portions of said irons, a lower shelf provided with car extensions pivotable between the bottom portions of said irons, said ear extensions being adapted to stay said shelves in horizontal open position, the upper shelf being pivotable about said top portion rearwardly of said rear flanges, into parallel relationship therewith the lower shelf being adapted to pivot upwardly into parallel nested relationship between said angle irons, and means for locking said bottom shelf in horizontal position to form a base support.

I 3. A folding shelf comprising a pair of spaced vertical supports of L-shaped cross-section formed by parallel forwardly extending flanges and by rearward coplanar flanges'extending towards one another, a lower shelf and an upper shelf, both of said shelves having bent up stiflening and article-retaining flanges and earlike extensions, pivot means in the upper and lower portions of said supports for pivoting said ear-like extension, said stiffening and article-retaining flanges and said ear-like extensions bracing said shelves in horizontal open position, the upper shelf being swingable rearwardly of said rearward coplanar flanes, the lower shelf being swingable into nested position between said supports, both said supports being provided with apertures for securing the folding shelf to a suitable vertical support.

4. A folding shelf comprising a pair of spaced vertical supports of L-shaped cross-section formed by parallel forwardly extending flanges and by rearward coplanar flanges extending towards one another, a plurality of shelves having bent-up stiflening and article-retaining flanges, means for pivotally securing said shelves in parallel spaced relationship to said supports, one of said shelves being secured to the uppermost portions of said supports, the other of said shelves being secured to the lowermost portion of said supports and forming a base therewith, said one shelf being swingable rearwardly of said rearward coplanar flanges, the other of said shelves being swingable into nested relationship between said supports, said one shelf and said supports being provided with apertures for suspending said folding shelf on a suitable support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,453,598 Obele May 1, 1923 2,305,629 Magnuson Dec. 22, 1942 2,692,055 Feiertag Oct. 19, 1954 2,908,397 Patterson Oct. 13, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 462,313 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1937 

